Buhari, Osinbajo, Ministers, others pocket N2.3bn salaries in one year

Despite cut in the salaries of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, both of them including cabinet ministers and other political appointees pocketed the sum of N2.295 billion as official salaries and allowances in the last one year.

Man abandons wife in hospital over unpaid N520,000 bill

A mother of seven, Mrs. Uzoamaka Onu, 39, has been abandoned by her husband at the New Mayor Hospital and Fertility Centre, Nkpor in Anambra over a bill of N520,000.

The woman had stayed in the hospital for four months following the non- payment of the bill.

Uzoamaka, a food vendor from Okpoto community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria that her husband had absconded and abandoned her to her fate.

Full text of President Buhari’s speech at Thursday’s Economic Retreat

I am delighted to be here with you at this Ministerial Retreat on the Economy and the Budget. The theme of the Retreat which is “Building Inter-ministerial Synergy for Effective Planning and Budgeting in Nigeria” is very apt and timely, especially as we are in the process of developing the 2017 Budget.

Over the years, there has been a mismatch between planned targets and budgetary outcomes at the National and sectorial levels. The Federal MDAs have not also benefited significantly from working together and building consensus around common national objectives. This has impeded growth and development of the country.

Fashola says most Nigerians see housing loans by government as share of ‘national cake'

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has noted that most Nigerians see government-backed housing loans as their share of the country’s financial resources, fondly called ‘national cake’, stressing that this explains the non-productivity of the national housing loan administered by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN.

South Africa bans anti-gay US pastor

South Africa on Tuesday banned a Holocaust-denying, anti-gay American pastor from entering the country, after an outcry from rights groups over his characterisation of gays as “sodomites” and “paedophiles”.

Steven Anderson, who in 2009 infamously prayed for US President Barack Obama’s death, had planned a “soul-winning” visit to South Africa at the weekend.

Mortgage firm promises N1.5m houses for Nigerians

The Nigerian Mortgage Refinancing Company on Monday said it was ready to refinance a one-bedroom apartment for the citizens at a cost of N1.5m in any part of the country.

The Managing Director, NMRC, Prof. Charles Inyangete, made the pledge during a press briefing on the African Union Housing Finance Conference to be held on Wednesday in Abuja.

Why I will not like to serve as Minister under Buhari – Okonjo-Iweala

Immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has affirmed that she would not serve in the current government of President Muhammadu Buhari, even if invited.

Okonjo-Iweala made this disclosure on Monday during a programme aired on Al Jazeera, The Stream.

According to the former minister, it would be better to allow those managing the economy now to do the best they could, stressing that there could be solutions to the present economic decline in the country.